There's a suitably seasonal Roman flavour to this Good Friday (19th.) for Kent's Speedway side, the TouchTec Kings who go into racing action in the Coliseum!

Not the iconic arena of the days of Caesar of course but the nearly-rebranded venue in Devon - home of the Plymouth Gladiators. Not a chance for Kent team boss Chris Hunt's charges to ease into this new campaign, as the long journey way out west is for vital National Trophy [NT] points - knowing that with a four team group ( the others being Mildenhall, winners the past two seasons and Isle of Wight) and the top two going onto to contest the Final, there's no room for a slip up, home or away.

So the the quartet of Kings' debutants aim to be hot and not cross this Good Friday: skipper Rob Ledwith (who visits the track in Plympton just outside the Naval City for a first-ever time), Jordan Jenkins and two-pointer reserves, Dan Gilkes and reigning 250cc GB Youth Champion, Nathan Ablitt.

There's a notable omission with Kent's new number one, Drew Kemp otherwise engaged in SGB Championship duty for his side in that league, Sheffield Tigers and so unable to travel to the south-west on Friday. Kemp's absence will be covered by Rider Replacement - the facility allowable in such circumstances which, because Drew is the number one and therefore highest-averaged rider in the Kent side, means his four programmed rides can be taken by any of the Kings' septet - including heat leaders Anders Rowe & Jordan. Kent's six man side is completed by Alex Spooner who rode in last July's win at Plymouth for the Kings in the National League.

Top scorer for the long-travelling Kings that day and when they visited Plymouth in the NT last term too is now though in the opposite camp: the hugely popular Nathan Stoneman having swapped Central Park for the Plymouth Coliseum this term. He forms an impressive spearhead with former GB Under 21 Champion, Ben Wilson and the third heat leader for the hosts is the very experienced Scott Campos. Another ex-Kings' man makes a welcome return to National League racing thus term as reserve for the Gladiators. Adam Sheppard, The side is completed by a rider well-regarded amongst the Kent faithful after some spirited showings at Central Park last season in Richard Andrews plus youngster Jamie Bursill and returning from injury, former Buxton rider, Adam Extance.

The action gets underway at the St. Boniface Arena, Coypool Road, Plympton, Plymouth, Devon PL7 4NW with gates open at 5.45pm and the action underway at 7.15pm. A couple of weeks before 'May the Fourth' but nevertheless that Force is going to with you there with the special holiday guests for this family day out being the characters from Star Wars!